The quintessential Greek salad isn’t complicated, but two important elements will make it memorable—true Greek Kalamata olives and freshly sliced slabs of feta, not those packaged crumbles. Purists say the melding of the olive oil and the juice of the tomatoes is all the dressing you need, enhanced by the best oregano. That’s why the squeeze of lemon juice is optional. Note: If you can’t find great beefsteak tomatoes, substitute two cups of hothouse cherry tomatoes, halved.
Ingredients
1 large cucumber
1/2 red onion
1/2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced into rings
2 large, ripe tomatoes, quartered
10 Greek Kalamata olives
2 3-ounce slices of Greek feta
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Dried oregano to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Coarse salt, like Maldon sea salt flakes, to taste
2 lemon wedges (optional)
Directions
Divide the ingredients evenly between two dinner plates or salad bowls in this order: Arrange the cucumber slices first and then layer on the red onions and green peppers. Space the tomato quarters and olives around the outside of the dish and place a slab of feta in the center. Drizzle on the olive oil and sprinkle on oregano and black pepper. Sprinkle the tomatoes lightly with the salt. Add a squeeze of lemon juice if desired.
This Middle Eastern spice blend is as ubiquitous in that part of the world as our salt shaker is here, but far healthier. Every country in the Middle East, and even region within each country, has its own proportions of the ingredients. My twist is using black lime in place of the traditional sumac, which isn’t—yet—in everyone’s pantry. (You can leave out the salt if you need to for health reasons.) Za’atar is amazing when sprinkled over olive oil on focaccia or flat bread before baking…or when reheating bread from your favorite bakery.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon sumac or black lime
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Directions
Toast the sesame seeds in a small pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes, watching closely so that they don’t burn. Turn off the heat and let them cool. Using a small food processor or a coffee bean grinder (you may need to work in batches), pulse the sesame seeds along with the other spices until they’re mixed, but stop well before they turn into a powder—there should be some texture to the blend. You can also do this by hand with a mortar and pestle.
Annie’s Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Recipe, Spotlight on Hazelnuts and Chocolate and Boosting Positivity for Better Health
One of the greatest “secrets” about extra virgin olive oil is how easily this healthful fat can substitute for the traditional saturated fats, like butter and lard, that are the core of many baked goods, especially desserts. As you experiment, I recommend starting with the mildest olive oil in your cabinet, especially for lighter cakes and cookies. But for Valentine’s Day, let’s go bold with an amazing chocolate cake that delivers benefits from numerous healthy ingredients. Enjoy!
Annie Paterson, the multitalented proprietress of Nullamunjie Olive Oil in Australia, generously shared one of her signature recipes when we got together. The hazelnuts provide another punch of healthy fats. Serve slices with fresh berries and, for a touch of indulgence, vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Ingredients
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons top-quality cocoa powder
1/3 cup hot water
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup finely ground hazelnut meal
4 large eggs, separated
Directions
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with a round of parchment paper on the bottom and a long strip around the inside walls. If making your own hazelnut meal, pulse 2/3 cup toasted whole nuts in a food processor to a mealy consistency, about 12 pulses—don’t go too far or you could end up with a paste. Measure out 1 cup (reserve any excess to sprinkle on cereal or yogurt).
Step 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cocoa powder and hot water, and whisk until smooth. Melt the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler, stirring constantly. Add the melted chocolate to the cocoa-hot water mixture along with the olive oil, brown sugar, and hazelnut meal. Stir until thoroughly combined, and then whisk in the yolks, one at a time; set aside.
Step 3
Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold half the whites into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. When well combined, fold in the remaining egg whites, and then scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.
Step 4
Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean—some moist chocolate may remain as the cake should be fudgy, like a brownie. Let the cake cool completely in the pan, then remove it and carefully peel off the parchment.
Serves 8 — Recipe courtesy of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts are one of the unsung stars in the nut category, with a sweet taste that’s best when roasted but not salted. A one-ounce serving delivers 3 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, and 17 grams of fat—76% are healthy monounsaturated fats and 12% are healthy polyunsaturated fats. Hazelnuts are also an excellent source of vitamin E and the minerals copper and manganese, and a good source of B1, B6 and magnesium. While ground hazelnuts make an excellent flour substitute, these nuts aren’t only for desserts—they’re great in place of breadcrumbs and they add crunch to salads and veggie side dishes. A handful makes a satisfying snack.
Healthy Kitchen Nugget
Dark Chocolate for the Win
Much research has been done on the potential health benefits of dark chocolate. A study review published in The FASEB Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology looked at 19 articles and found that dark chocolate and cocoa do indeed contain significant polyphenols, antioxidant-rich nutrients that may help lower blood pressure and even cholesterol. But what exactly is dark chocolate, and how can you balance the sugar that’s added to make a very bitter food—cacao—so delicious?
Chocolate is defined by the percentage of cacao it contains, before other ingredients like cocoa butter, sugar, and vanilla are added. Cacao is made from the fleshy white seeds within cacao pods. Bittersweet chocolate has the highest ratio of cacao to other ingredients. It has to be at least 35% cacao, but the best choices are usually 70% or more—with just enough sugar to create a great taste. Semisweet chocolate—the vast majority of chips sold at most supermarkets—is about 55% cacao, while milk chocolate can be as low as 10% but more often is about 40%. So, it’s easy to see why eating a box of bonbons with a high sugar content is not going to deliver many antioxidants, but rather tons of calories. Always look for the percentage rather than just the designation of “dark” or “semisweet” when buying. Have fun researching new brands, and read the taste profiles on manufacturers’ websites—you might like a 72% bar better than a 64%! A great American brand to try is California-based Guittard. Storage tip: Keep chocolate away from moisture, heat, and extreme temperatures—a cool 60°F is ideal.
For Your Best Health
Boost Positivity for Better Health
Emotional health is vital to overall health. With all the distress we’ve faced over the last year, it’s more important than ever to look for ways to boost positivity. An amazing resource is the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. The Center sponsors groundbreaking scientific research into social and emotional well‐being and shows you how to apply their findings to your personal life through articles, videos, quizzes, podcasts, free online courses, and the wonderful “Happiness Calendar” full of ideas for doing good and feeling great. Check out the February installment and sign up to get the calendar by email every month.
Fitness Flash
Circadian Rhythms and You
Have you ever noticed that you feel more tired around the time of a full moon? Research done at the University of Washington, the National University of Quilmes in Argentina, and Yale University found that the body’s natural circadian rhythms tend to take advantage of the extra natural light after dusk on the nights leading up to a full moon, when the “waxing moon” is in the sky. Whether they were living in cities or rural areas, study participants slept the least and went to bed the latest during this monthly occurrence. “We hypothesize that the patterns we observed are an innate adaptation that allowed our ancestors to take advantage of this natural source of evening light that occurred at a specific time during the lunar cycle,” says lead author Leandro Casiraghi, a postdoctoral researcher in the biology department at the University of Washington. Note your sleep and wake times around the time of the next full moon; if you wake up cranky, it could be because you’re going to bed too late and missing out on some important zzz’s.
Squash and Carrot Soup Recipe, Spotlight on Turmeric, Add a Microplane Grater to Your Kitchen, Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Turmeric Properties, and Limiting Dangerous Downtime
I love a dish that’s easy to make yet tastes complex with layers of flavor and, even better, is also comforting on a cold day. The first recipe in this issue of The Olive Oil Hunter Newsletter delivers on all counts. The directions for many vegetable-based soups suggest boiling the vegetables before puréeing them, but that technique is no match for roasting to bring out all their natural sweetness, which, in turn, adds richness to the finished dish. Because I so want to introduce you to turmeric, often under appreciated in American cooking, I’m also including a second recipe that features it—chai masala, an amazing spice mix that makes it easy to create your own chai tea (or coffee) at home. Enjoy!
This dish is easy to make yet tastes complex with layers of flavor and, even better, is also comforting on a cold day. I recommend roasting your vegetables—before puréeing them—for maximum flavor and enhanced natural sweetness.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 pounds squash, such as butternut, acorn, or Hubbard, halved, seeded, and cut into large pieces
4 large carrots, scrubbed and quartered
1 onion, quartered
1-1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
1 teaspoon cinnamon, preferably Vietnamese, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Yields 6 servings.
Directions
Heat your oven to 425°F. Coat a large baking sheet with the olive oil and add all the vegetables, with the squash pieces skin side up. Roast for 30 minutes, flip the vegetables with a spatula, and roast for another 20 minutes. Once the vegetables are cool enough to handle, scrape all the squash flesh from its skin and transfer to your food processor along with the carrots, onions, 1 cup of the broth, and the spices. Pulse a few times, adding more liquid as needed until it reaches a purée consistency. Taste and add more cinnamon and/or nutmeg as desired.
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Turmeric
India is the land of intriguing spices, rich and deep, and none more colorful than turmeric. The country produces nearly all of the world’s turmeric and its 1.3 billion people consume 80 percent of it! Turmeric (Curcuma longa) belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, which also includes ginger, and you can see the similarity between them when you hold up the edible parts, the rhizomes. Fresh turmeric reminds me of a thick tree trunk with a tight network of branches. Also, like ginger, turmeric has been used for thousands of years in both sweet and savory dishes in India and throughout South Asia and into the Middle East, Africa, and beyond. Apart from its culinary history, turmeric has been widely used in Eastern medicine, in religious ceremonies, and even as a natural coloring. Essential in Indian dishes from kormas to dals, it’s also delicious in sauces, stews, broths, salad dressings, juices, and baked goods for depth of flavor and a jolt of color.
Healthy Kitchen Nugget
Kitchen Tool Recommendation: Microplane Grater
If you don’t yet have a Microplane grater (or two), it’s time to add this essential to your culinary gadget drawer. It makes fast work of grating nutmeg, not to mention finely zesting lemons, limes, and oranges. The graters are available everywhere from Amazon to top homeware retailers like Williams-Sonoma.
For Your Best Health
Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Turmeric
Most of the interest in turmeric comes from its powerful polyphenol curcumin, which is thought to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, although research done in Western countries hasn’t quite been able to explain how it works. Interestingly, we know that, on its own, curcumin has a low bioavailability, meaning the body isn’t able to draw out and make the most of its nutrients. According to a report in the journal Foods, you can increase that bioavailability by having black pepper, rich in the active ingredient piperine, along with turmeric. So, every time you reach for turmeric, grab your black peppercorn grinder, too.
Fitness Flash
How to Limit Dangerous Downtime
Working at home has its merits, but there’s a potential downside, too—more time spent sitting and less energy expended. In fact, according to a post from the American College of Sports Medicine by fitness and wellness experts Alicia T. Bryan, PhD, FACSM, and Raymond Jones, PhD, many people are clocking another three hours of sedentary behavior a day on top of the eight hours we’re already averaging. “With the recent rise in virtual learning, teleworking, and health-mandated quarantines/isolations, we can be confident that adverse health outcomes will eventually emerge among those who now find themselves classified as physically inactive or insufficiently active,” their report stated.
How to stop this dangerous activity slowdown? One key piece of the advice given by Drs. Bryan and Jones is to reimagine Zoom meetings (business and social) with these pointers:
Limit meetings to one hour or less.
Have breaks between meetings rather than scheduling them back to back so you can get in some light movement or even a short workout.
Spend 5 minutes in a standing activity for every 25 minutes you’re seated.
Between calls, practice stretches at your desk that target the hips, hamstrings and lower back.
They also offer the reminder that everyone can achieve health gains through small, incremental bouts of physical activity, even just five minutes at a time to start. Here are more ideas—they’re written with meeting organizers in mind, but can be adapted by anyone wanting to be more active.
